Caravaggio’s Agartha Goes All the Way in G2 Debutante

Agartha (2f Caravaggio x Arya Tara, by Dylan Thomas) made a big splash at the Curragh on Saturday with an impressive win in the Group II Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes.

Racing over seven furlongs on the Irish turf, Agartha eagerly took point in the race to set an honest pace. With Declan McDonogh aboard, Agartha started building a margin with three furlongs left to run and only improved from there.

The filly had over four lengths on the field when they entered the final furlong and though another rival cut into that margin late, her win was under no threat. Agartha won by two lengths with Mastercraftman’s full sister to champion Alpha Centauri in third.

It was the second consecutive Debutante Stakes victory for trainer Joseph O’Brien, who trains the filly for Scott Heider. Agartha has now hit the board in all six of her starts, including a win in a Group III as well.

“She's unreal, she's tough and Declan said she seems to go on any ground,” trainer Joseph O’Brien’s assistant Brendan Powell told Irishracing.com. “Last time out (McDonogh} made plenty of use of her and he's done the same today. You could see them trying to come at her one by one. She seems to stay well, she gallops well and puts her head down. Most of all she's an absolute trier… It's only onwards and upwards with her. She's tough and hardy.”

Bred by Whisperview Trading Ltd, Agartha is the first runner out of the stakes winning mare Arya Tara, who is one of three winners for her own dam Anadiyla. That mare is a half-sister to Group I winner Astarabad and to the dam of European champion Azamour, whose half-sister produced Australian champion The Autumn Sun.

Arya Tara has a yearling colt by Churchill as well.

Caravaggio’s 15 winners is the best of any North American freshman with the multiple Group I winning Scat Daddy son also leading all freshmen with three stakes winners, three graded stakes performers, and five blacktype horses.